Development of integrated fuzzy model for mine management optimization

Technoeconomic, environmental and safety criteria generally affect the management of metallic and non-metallic mining operations. The first basic question that needs to be addressed when planning ore mining is which methods are adequate and what is the optimal mining technology? Due to the complex geologic framework of ore deposits, geological exploration has rendered syn-onymous the inherent uncertainties, vagueness, and inaccuracies. As a result, subjective evaluation by engineers and expert experience have become increas-ingly important. Given that the natural language used by miners and geologists is most suited for relaying knowledge and expressing opinions, the paper tests a fuzzy optimization methodology that uses linguistic variables. Consequently, extent analysis is applied to fuzzy AHP by means of triangular fuzzy numbers to arrive at a decision about the optimal mining technology. The entire proce-dure constitutes an integrated mine management system, which will contribute to sustainable production in the future. A case study to which the model was applied is presented in the paper.